The READY Games

[1:26]

Jenny: Yes, that's right. Innovation is at the core of InterSystems culture. And I'm willing to bet most of your cultures as well. And while the competition tonight is just one way that we inspire innovation, it's actually part of a much larger game plan that we have here at InterSystems. So we're going to share about a few other programs that go hand-in-hand with tonight's demo competition.

One program is our Innovation Incubator. Now you're going to hear more about this on Wednesday, but for now, I will say that this is a global program that funds startups and their amazing new products. We provide mentorship, marketing support, connections to many other startups, and even a meeting space for meetings and working time.

[2:14]

Randy: Thank you, Jenny. And another awesome opportunity to share innovative ideas is via our Developer Community. Now our Developer Community – which many of you may already be a part of today – is by far the most successful program we've ever run in terms of getting you all to know each other. Here on the Developer Community, you can find reliable answers from developers, InterSystems engineers, and an AI assistant trained on our technologies. And with that collective expertise, you'll have access to practical knowledge, proven code, and implementation insights shared by professionals who use InterSystems every day.

And of course, to keep things interesting, we have all sorts of programs to entice you to engage with the site and the community, such as webinars, developer meetups, and technical contests. And speaking of technical contests – and we want to be careful here – we don’t want to confuse the Demo Games with tonight's Ready Games, but we do want to let you know that after tonight's event, there will be another event that runs online through the end of August. So all summer long, our entire global community can watch demos from InterSystems sales engineers from all over the world that will show what's possible with InterSystems technologies.

And so, show of hands – who is already in the Developer Community? Good, quite a few of you. And for the rest of you, this is the perfect time to join and check out the many demos that are part of this competition. And please be sure to vote for your favorite. We'll have QR codes at the end of the presentation that you can all scan.

[3:53]

Jenny: That's right. So tonight, we're extending this idea of a demo competition. I've personally seen a preview of every one of our 40 demos, and I am confident that you're going to be inspired and wowed. And while the sporting atmosphere and the drinks are worth the price of admission, it's worth reflecting for a minute on why these demo competitions are important.

[4:18]

Randy: Now, sometimes demos are an example of what a product can do today – but we can also use demos as prototypes, not all that different from how an automobile manufacturer might use concept cars. In other words, you can think of a demo not just as an opportunity to see what a product can do today, but also what a product might be able to do in the future.

Many of you are here because you use our HealthShare line of products. What you might not know is that HealthShare began its life as a demo built by an InterSystems sales engineer. In fact, that former InterSystems sales engineer is here with us today. Mike is the stuff of urban legend these days in sales engineering, because once upon a time, he was a young whippersnapper of a sales engineer, and an idea came his way – and he coded up that idea into a demo over a weekend. There was certainly more to it than that, but that idea eventually became HealthShare.

He showed that demo to a few of the right people, and it became adopted by the company. And now today, many of you in the audience are using that technology – and as the stat will tell you, 400 billion healthcare messages flow through this technology in the US alone every year. And that can all be traced back to a demo built once upon a time by an InterSystems sales engineer.

[5:55]

Jenny: So who knows – the next HealthShare might be demoed at tonight's Demos & Drinks. In preparation for tonight's event, we're going to share some tips and tricks. Ryan is going to share from his perspective on how to create a great demo. But then, who actually gets to determine whether these demos are any good? You will be the judges. So I'll share some tips I have on how to evaluate a good demo after that.

[6:22]

Randy: Thank you, Jenny. If there's one thing I've done a bit of in my day, it's demos. I've definitely got my 10,000 hours in. And just an open offer to any of our partners: if you ever want to spend time with me in person or over Teams, I'd be happy to share tips, tricks, and direct feedback on your own pitch. Consider that an open offer. But I do have a couple of minutes today to share a few tips – both for the demoers tonight and for all of us who will be doing demos throughout the year.

The first one: people remember individualism. So don't be afraid to be yourself. There’s a very famous demoer in the audience who always wears a pair of signature high heels every time she does a demo. For me, one thing I do – I'm actually doing it right now– I roll up my sleeves and go to work.

This used to be subconscious. You're in a demo, let's say it’s a two-hour meeting. Maybe the first 30 minutes are questions and discovery. I'm sitting there, I'm engaged, but it’s not my turn yet. Then the demo is coming up, and what I used to do subconsciously was roll up my sleeves. I got this from a boss who used to say, “Time to roll up our sleeves and go to work.” Ironically, we wore short sleeves at that job, but the message stuck.

[7:57]

A couple of people noticed and mentioned it to me – in one case, many months later. And I realized, hey, wait a second, that's actually having an effect on people. I'm not saying overuse gimmicks, but if you have something that works for you, embrace it and double down.

My next tip: people are not going to remember the details, but they will remember how they felt. Once you embrace that, you can use it to your advantage. Jenny works in learning services, and there are statistics showing that even after a week-long technical training, attendees remember only about 20% of the details. The rest comes through applied learning.

The same holds true for demos. So think about this: how do you want them to feel at the end of the presentation? If you want them to be enthusiastic and excited, you should be enthusiastic and excited. It carries through.

[9:16]

Next: wherever possible, avoid reading from a script. Scripts have their place – teleprompters, one-time presentations – but it's much better to internalize your message of what you want to get across and just have a conversation. It'll be more natural, and the audience will be more likely to participate. People can tell when you're just reciting like a robot off a script, so try to avoid that whenever you can.

[9:53]

Next tip: work in intervals. Stop and smell the roses. I've seen many times that people get passionate and excited, and suddenly it turns into output-only. They're just talking at their audience. When you're doing a demo like tonight, you want to engage the audience. Every couple of minutes, ask: “What do you think so far? Any questions? Am I going too fast or too slow?” These little breaks give the audience a chance to respond and give you feedback that you can react to in real time.

[10:36]

Another big one: finish strong. You never want to leave out the call to action. I've seen many great presenters go for 59 minutes and 59 seconds, the Teams meeting ends, and no next steps were agreed on. We're doing demos for a reason. Be hyper-aware, leave time at the end, and clearly state the call to action. Tonight, it's hopefully to garner their vote – but in day-to-day settings, it might be to schedule a follow-up meeting, share additional information, or answer questions.

[11:36]

And finally, at the end, ask them if they have questions. If they don’t, don’t be discouraged. That gives you the opportunity to ask them a question: “What did you think?” You’ve spent all this time presenting; you’ve earned the right to ask for feedback.

So those are some of my tips and tricks, and I'd love to meet with any partners and spend more time sharing advice on how we could make your demos more compelling.

[12:45]

Jenny: That was great, Randy. Let's next talk about how we really evaluate demos. As you walk around the floor tonight, I don't want you voting for the ones where your friends are or the ones that look super shiny. I want you to consider what’s really going to move things forward.

When you're watching a demo – whether shiny and polished or quietly brilliant – you're not just looking at what's in front of you. You're choosing what we scale, what we share, and what we build upon. And most importantly, you’re helping us decide what it could become.

[13:26]

Let's start with the practical: what delivers real impact now? Some demos stand out because they are instantly useful. You can feel how they make your work easier, your process better, or your team stronger.

So when you're evaluating demos for the “Most Likely to Use” tonight, here are some things to consider:

1. Does it solve a clear and present problem? Not just interesting – necessary.
2. Does it fit into how we already work? Seamlessly, without friction.
3. Does it allow us to work smarter? Save time, reduce effort, eliminate frustration.
4. Does it inspire action this week? Whether applying a tip or starting to adopt a tool.

This is the award that gets people saying, “Yes, we need this.”

[14:50]

Then there are the demos that go beyond what we thought was possible. They don’t just improve our work – they transform our thinking. They inspire the future. So when evaluating “Most Innovative,” consider:

• Does it solve a problem in a way you didn’t expect?
• Does it reveal a need you didn’t know existed?

I think of when Apple first introduced the iPhone. We didn’t know that a phone, a camera, and the internet in our pocket would be useful, but it changed everything.

[15:26]

Second: Does it open new doors and stretch what we thought was possible?

This could be stepping into the middle – where no one has gone before – and unlocking an entirely new world of applications. I think of applications like ChatGPT, for example. You'll see several demos tonight that draw inspiration from that kind of leap

[15:31]

Third: Does it change the way you think?

This should feel like a leap, not just a step – something that sparks imagination and inspires the future. Products like Tesla shifted our mindset around electric vehicles, moving us from compromise to performance and innovation.

[16:13]

And fourth: Does it transform the way you do business by solving a real problem?

This isn’t innovation for innovation’s sake. It’s the kind of demo that truly changes the game. Think about what Stripe did for online payments. Before Stripe, integrating payment systems was painful and time-consuming. It turned a multi-week headache into a few lines of code. It didn’t just offer a tool it reshaped how entire industries could accept payments and launch digital businesses.–

So that’s what we’re looking for: solutions that don’t just fit into your business but help you imagine and expand what your business can be. This is the award that makes people say, “Wow, imagine what we could do with that.”

[17:08]

Now, whether you're voting for “Most Innovative” or “Most Likely to Use,” I invite you to consider one mantra: Solve, scale, and spark.

• Does it solve a real or future problem?
• Can it scale to reach more people, teams, and outcomes?
• And does it spark new ideas, new thinking, or new conversations?

Because the best demos don’t just impress us. They move us, change us, and enlighten us to what’s possible. And they show us a path to get there. So when you evaluate the demos tonight, don’t just ask, “Is this good?” Ask, “What could this become?” And let’s build our future from there.

[17:54]

Randy: Excellent. Thank you so much, Jenny. And with that, welcome to Ready Stadium. Tonight, we hope you come ready to be inspired. Jenny and her co-host, Derek Robinson, will be your hosts for the evening, and you’ll want to make sure you arrive on time, because the opening ceremony begins promptly at 6:30 p.m

Jenny: You don’t want to miss it. The entire event will feel like a science fair for adults – only way cooler. You’ll be able to walk around, visit each of our demo teams, and hear about the amazing demos they’ve created for you. Voting this year will take place in the Cvent app under the Survey section. We strongly encourage you to vote for both “Most Innovative” and “Most Likely to Use”.

[18:48]

Randy: And, of course, this is InterSystems, so come hungry. There will be plenty of food. And speaking of food, it’s lunchtime. Before you go, please scan the QR codes for the Demo Games competition, which will run through the rest of the summer on our Developer Community. Once you’ve scanned them, feel free to head out and enjoy lunch.

We look forward to seeing you tonight at 6:30 p.m., right here at Ready Stadium.

Thank you so much.